


into the wild

by curiouscorvid (prometheanTactician)



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 12:05:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14164482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prometheanTactician/pseuds/curiouscorvid
Summary: “...Then why are you here tonight, Ed?” The other boy shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, looking away casually.“I can’t sleep.”





	into the wild

The humidity was hell. Sticky, even as the darkness of night provided cool relief from the unbearable heat of the day. Still though, no blankets. Hell, he wouldn’t even sleep in clothes if he had a choice, but he could never shake the paranoia that granny could burst into his room at any hour and drag him out of bed for some imagined slight. She didn’t do that much anymore, not since he got so tall and her joints got so achy, but the fear was there.

The fear was always there.

He couldn’t open his windows. Too many things flitting about in the night. But he could still hear the world just fine filtered through the glass. Crickets chirping quietly, rhythmically, almost enough to put someone to sleep if not for the damn screaming of the cicadas. Jon still found that oddly calming, though. The screaming. Why did they always... scream?

But he didn’t mind. He didn’t. What he did mind, and very much so, was the cawing. The crows out back and across the yard, locked in that damn rotting hellhole. Sealed away. Too far to hear through his window, surely, but somehow he still could. Could still hear them. The flapping of wings and the smooth swoops through the air, he could feel the talons shredding his skin, the pecking- he couldn’t breathe. There were too many, all on him, he couldn’t breathe and they were tapping- tapping- tapping-

Something was tapping at his window, and it certainly wasn’t a crow.

Slowly, wincing at the way the old mattress squeaked, Jonathan stood. It wouldn’t wake Granny anymore. Her hearing had been failing lately. He’d always thought her to be some sort of immortal terror, but he was nearly grown now and it was increasingly clear that she was approaching her end.

He opened the window.

“What in God’s name are you doing here, Nashton.” It was barely a question. More a tired statement. At this point he was almost used to this boys particular brand of inadvisable tomfoolery. Tomfoolery such as sneaking into another boys bedroom in the middle of Georgia during summer holiday, when other teenagers were probably still out running around with their friends. He could be seen. He’d put both their necks on the line.

Jon tried to be cross with him. He always tried, but then Edward would look at him with those big eyes and that hopeful smile and those damn freckles- He always tried to be cross with him. He always tried. He always failed.

“I just wanted to see you. Is that a crime?”

“Wanting to see me isn’t. It’s everything that comes after...”

“You usually seem to like what comes after.” Edward smirked, trying to seem teasing and flirtatious, smug, like he usually did. But Jon knew him. Jon could practically see the haze hanging out his friend. Edward sat on the side of the bed as Jon turned on a dim lamp, and when he looked at his visitor again-

Well.

Jon was familiar with this. This anger, this violence, this want, this need to- to hurt something. Someone. Kill them, maybe, but slow. He wanted to hear their screams, tear them apart- he could imagine it all so vividly and it sent a thrill through his body that mixed with his rage. Usually he felt this after getting the shit kicked out of him by the boys at school, or getting whipped bloody by his grandmother.

But there was vivid bruising blooming below Edward’s eye, and the moment Jon saw it everything turned red. Outside of his buzzing skull, things were still and quiet. Edward was tense, wringing his hands, and Jon’s mouth was set in a hard line.

“This um,” Ed started, gesturing awkwardly at his own face as Jon sat beside him, close enough to touch. “This is old news. Few days ago. Not why I’m here.”

“Why didn’t you come here when it-”

“Because I know how you get, Jon.” Words like that from anyone else sounded exasperated, but Edward just sounded fond, smiling softly and reaching out to brush some of Jon’s hair out of his face. Always so gentle with him. Jon could scarcely wrap his head around it. “If I’d crawled through your window bloody and beaten and bawling in the dead of night my father would be dead by sunrise and we’d be on the run.”

It occurred to Jonathan that Ed probably shouldn’t have been smiling when he said things like that, but he didn’t mention it. If it made Eddie smile then he’d gladly allow it.

“...Then why are you here tonight, Ed?” The other boy shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, looking away casually.

“I can’t sleep.”

“There’s more to it than that.” Another shrug.

“It’s nothing new. He’s drunk, they’re fighting. She stormed out, he was throwing things. I-” He stopped suddenly, biting his lip. “I knew he’d eventually come up and- take it out on me since she wasn’t there, y’know, he always does- I got scared,and I always get scared but- I never had anywhere to go.” He finally looked at Jon, smiling a little sheepishly. “Never had a nice boy who’s sweet on me.”

“Yes you have.” Jon scoffed, rolling his eyes. Edward put his hand over Jon’s on the bed, and that contact was enough to silence him. Edward was still smiling.

“Not one with a tree growing next to the window. And... no one who’d want to deal with that baggage. But you actually like me.”

“S’a’bit more’n like.” He mumbled, looking away in an attempt to hide the blush. Edward would not allow it. He reached over, turned Jon’s head to look back at him and met his lips in a gentle kiss. They lingered for a moment, and when Edward broke the kiss Jon put a careful hand on his shoulder to pull him back in. Under his hand he could feel Edward calming down, the tension leaving him.

“Can I-” Edward’s voice broke when Jon’s lips gently brushed the bruised skin on his cheek, too choked up until Jon kissed down to his neck. He sucked in a shuddering breath and tried again. “Can I stay here? Will she-?”

Jon paused at the question, pulling away slowly as he considered, eyes immediately falling on his books, which honestly took up much of the room. He got up quickly, looking for the right one.

“Uh... now isn’t the time for some light reading, Jon.” His guest complained as he picked up one of the sizable tomes- a Bible. The only book his grandmother wouldn’t snoop through. The only one he didn’t actually want to read. He opened it, hollowed out and containing a few small items. Ed watched as the taller boy took out a small vial and a syringe.

“When she messed up her hip, the doctor prescribed morphine. Her hands shook too much, so she had me give it to her. Had time as she healed to figure out exactly how much it would take to put her outta commission temporarily, and to sneak some besides.” He was grinning as he said it. There was something eerie in that that smile, something terrifying that made Edward’s heart race.

“Why settle for temporary?”

“The same reason you won’t let me kill your father.” He noted, filling the syringe and carefully measuring the dose. His eyes flicked to Edward. “Timing. I’ll be back in a sec, and she’ll be good as gone til about two in the afternoon.”

“Jon?” Edward stopped him as Jon’s hand landed on the doorknob. “Be- Be careful.”

He felt stupid saying it, but it made Jon smile softly. 

Ed could handle feeling a little silly if it meant Jon would keep looking at him like that.


End file.
